Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteriophages: Implications Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Enterobacteriaceae represent a clinically challenging bacterial family owing to the global emergence of multidrug resistance. Bacteriophages, the natural predators of these bacteria, have emerged as powerful tools for detecting, targeting, and inhibiting these pathogens. This review provides a comprehensive overview of bacteriophages targeting Enterobacteriaceae hosts, focusing on their diversity, virion architecture, and the molecular determinants of host specificity. The dynamic co-evolution between bacterial defence strategies and phage counter-defences is discussed to illustrate the complexity of the phage-Enterobacteriaceae host interactions. Translational applications of Enterobacteriaceae phages, including phage therapy, engineered phages, phage-derived lysins as antimicrobials, and phage-based diagnostics for rapid and specific pathogen detection is also explored alongside their limitations including limited large-scale clinical trials, regulatory and manufacturing hurdles, and the need for robust host-range prediction and standardization. Overall, this review elaborates implications of bacteriophage-Enterobacteriaceae interactions to combat antimicrobial resistance and support the development of next-generation antibacterial therapies and diagnostics.